TORRANCE, Calif. (March 30, 2011)—In a first of its kind, Lexus is teaming up with six of the world’s most distinguished chefs as it unveils its Lexus Culinary Masters team. The team will partner with Lexus on multiple initiatives, including Lexus customer appreciation programs, charitable outreach, and multimedia productions. Details on future programs will be announced later this year.

The Lexus Culinary Masters debut lineup includes:

Chef Daniel Boulud – Chef/Owner of several restaurants, including DANIEL

Personal high performance driving instructor not included with purchase

Lacks storied racing tradition

The Lexus LFA is, without doubt, the hottest ultra supercar to fly down the Autobahn since Audi introduced the R8 several years ago. The 552 hp, composite monocoque two seater is a complete aberration for Lexus, the buttoned-down purveyor of conventional luxury cars renowned for quality, silence and longevity. Why the sea change in Lexus strategy? The company is going after the lucrative sports sedan market currently owned by Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Lexus sedans have always been perceived as somewhat stodgy alternatives to the German Big 3. Consequently, the Japanese company has decided to launch an all-out assault on the sporting opposition by building the LFA as a halo car for their revamped F-line cars and parts.

The first Lexus LFA supercars arrived in the U.S. in January 2011 and CarReview was invited to a Lexus driver development program with the opportunity to drive the 552 horsepower LFA in its element at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

To sum it up, the rear-wheel drive LFA is a dynamically styled supercar powered by a sophisticated new high-revving 4.8-liter V10 engine that generates 552 hp (412kW/560DIN hp) and 354 lb-ft (480Nm) of torque for adrenaline-fuelled 202 mph (325km/h) performance. This specially-developed powerplant is hooked up to a unique six-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox (ASG) with paddle shifters for ultimate driver control. Linked by a rigid torque tube for excellent drivetrain integrity, the ASG is located in a transaxle layout over the rear axle for an optimal 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution.

The “F” in the nomenclature of this Lexus stands for Fuji, Toyota’s home race track. More specifically, the shape of the letter F replicates the first turn at Fuji, because turns at speed are what the IS-F is all about. For 2011, this Lexus hot rod has undergone a truly remarkable transformation from tentative chrysalis stage to full adult incarnation.

Lexus introduced this hybrid in January, 2008 at the Detroit Auto Show, some 6 years after the first hybrid Lexus, the RX 330h went into production. The HS is the smallest and least expensive hybrid in the company’s present lineup, with a base price of $34,200. That’s a $10,000 slug more than the parent company’s similar $22,000 Toyota Prius, but as you might expect, the HS, being a Lexus, is a far more luxurious vehicle.

Wheel and tire upgrade package transforms handling from ho-hum to almost exciting

Cons:

Mo’ money for “F Sport” performance goodies

Rear seat space only comfortable for munchkins and smurfs

Just what is entry-level luxury, anyway? If you pony up $34,627 for a base model Lexus IS sedan, what do you get above and beyond having your basic transportation needs met? Since it’s based on the Toyota Camry platform, is an IS 250 worth the Lexus surcharge?

What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago gas was cheap, the SUV was king, and fuel efficiency was one of the last things car buyers were concerned about. Surprisingly, it was also ten years ago that Honda and Toyota introduced a seemingly radical technology that involved strapping batteries and an electric motor to a gas engined car, creating the first hybrids.

Fast forward ten years and the traditional SUV has all but died out, gas is $3 per gallon, and hybrids are as common as apple pie. More importantly, awareness of global warming and our dependence on foreign oil, along with a depressed economy, has made fuel efficiency a far more important criteria for car buyers. This, in turn, has spurred the automotive industry to pursue smaller, cleaner and more efficient designs. The result is a plethora of choices for buyers seeking a more fuel efficient, greener set of wheels.

Although hybrid cars are perhaps the most effective way to significantly increase fuel efficiency, with 9 out of the top ten most fuel efficient cars featuring a gas electric drivetrain, not everyone will be happy with the increased cost and performance sacrifice that often comes with hybrid ownership. Luckily we now also have a new generation of clean diesels that are nothing like the noisy, smoke belching diesels of the past, instead providing excellent performance along with hybrid worthy fuel efficiency. And for those who are wary of all of this alternative technology, there are finally plenty of efficient, well made small cars available in America.